It's no secret: Portland is a city that embraces cyclists and beer lovers. From road bikes to cargo cruisers to fixies, bikes sometimes outnumber cars at stoplights. When waiting at one of the city's drawbridges, cyclist chatter can rival the buzz at popular bars.

And the beer? Most of those bars serve local brews.

With access to bridges, clearly marked bike lanes and bicycle boulevards (also called neighborhood greenways) it's easy for those on two wheels to get around, and a growing supply of bike racks allow parking without having to jury-rig a solution. As for beer, Portland has grown beyond its earlier hop-heavy IPA days, and brewpubs feature a growing variety of microbrews which you'd need more than a weekend to sample.

Even the Worst Day of the Year Ride, a 16-mile urban bike ride held each February, ends at a brewpub.

On a recent Portland visit, I made my home base at Hotel deLuxe (a bike-friendly downtown hotel), rented a road bike from Pedal Bike Tours, and hit the streets to enjoy tasty brews and car-free travel. Not at the same time, of course. Driving responsibly is for cyclists, as well.

Tucked in my pannier were: a copy of "Hop in the Saddle: A Guide to Portland's Craft Beer Scene, by Bike," a Portland by Bicycle map (available at most bike shops) and my smartphone with Google Maps' bicycle feature.

I didn't mind getting a little lost. What I did mind was missing some of the brewpub highlights. I have my priorities.

River ride

From the hotel, my friends and I rolled downhill to the Waterfront Bike Trail, which runs along the Willamette River. Moms pushed strollers, families lingered along the railing, people perched on benches for a brief lunch, and bicyclists navigated the path in between.

At the Morrison Bridge, cyclists eyed each other's rides as they waited for the drawbridge to open to traffic. High over the water, I looked south down the wide river while we waited.

Along the other side of the river, the Eastbank Esplanade stretches into the Springwater Corridor - a paved path that follows the river past the meadows and wetlands of the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge before curving inland to follow Johnson Creek. Looking out over a sea of wildflowers in the floodplain, I spied snowy egrets and great blue herons hunting for food.

At this point, riders can follow the Springwater Corridor 17 miles east to Boring, Ore. This trail is the southeast segment of the 40-Mile Loop, a plan inspired in 1903 for a parkway and boulevard loop to connect park sites. We followed the path a short distance farther, then cut north away from the waterways to find lunch.

Bicycle boulevards

The perfect refueling stop, Pok Pok is a popular Thai restaurant that has customers drooling while happily waiting for a seat. Because there are so many tasty dishes on the menu, it's best to order a few to sample. Four hungry cyclists require a lot of food.

After lunch, the path to the brewpub allowed us to ride along some of Portland's neighborhood greenways - residential streets with low speeds and a low volume of car traffic, where cyclists are given priority. Speed bumps and traffic diverters along these routes keep autos from cutting through to avoid main streets; signs and pavement markings let riders know where the greenway goes and what's nearby, like parks and business districts.

We rolled along quiet streets under tree branches that arched like a canopy across the road. The lack of traffic pressure allowed us to pedal at our own pace, and after the huge lunch at Pok Pok, that was a welcome recovery.

I checked my phone to see if Google Maps included the bicycle boulevards in the recommended bike route to our next stop, and there it was - the blue dot denoting my location hovering on the route to our beer finale.

Hair of the dog

The lush green boulevards gave way to urban grittiness as we pedaled into Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District and toward the Hair of the Dog Brewery and Tasting Room. The brewpub's glass garage-style door was open, allowing a street-level view of downtown Portland.

We settled on taster-size samples of every beer on tap, which included those named after the owner's friends, craft beer pioneers and his mom. Also in the 3-ounce samples: Blue Dot (a double IPA) and a taste of barleywine. We passed them around so everyone could pick a favorite or two before saddling up for the short ride back across the Morrison Bridge.

After leaving my bike safely in the custody of the hotel, it was time to try some more local brews - this time without being concerned about after-drink riding.

And this being Portland, there's usually a brewpub just around the corner.

If You Go

Where to stay

Hotel deLuxe: 729 SW 15th Ave., Portland. (503) 219-2094. www.hoteldeluxeportland.com. Evoking the Golden Age of Hollywood, this hotel occupies a historic building near Pioneer Square. Don't miss the Driftwood Room, dating from the 1950s, for a post-biking beverage. Rates start at $129 per night.

Pok Pok: 3226 SE Division St., Portland. (503) 232-1387. www.pokpokpdx.com. The fiery Thai food at this popular spot goes far beyond green curry and pad thai, and may make you want to get an extra order for later. Entrees from $9.

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company: 61 SE Yamhill St., Portland. (503) 232-6585. www.hairofthedog.com. Get one of the tables with a street-level view of downtown as you sample the complex beers from this brewery with a huge cult following.